No.

2015-03
April 2015

InterestImputation of Interest
(Subtopic 835-30)

Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs

An Amendment of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification

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Accounting Standards Update

No. 2015-03
April 2015

InterestImputation of Interest
(Subtopic 835-30)

Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs

An Amendment of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification

Financial Accounting Standards Board

Accounting Standards Update 2015-03

InterestImputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)
Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs
April 2015
CONTENTS
Page
Numbers
Summary ...........................................................................................................12
Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification .......................37
Background Information and Basis for Conclusions ........................................811
Amendments to the XBRL Taxonomy .................................................................12

Summary
Why Is the FASB Issuing This Accounting Standards
Update (Update) and What Are the Main Provisions?
The Board is issuing this Update as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in
accounting standards (the Simplification Initiative). The objective of the
Simplification Initiative is to identify, evaluate, and improve areas of generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for which cost and complexity can be
reduced while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided
to users of financial statements.
The Board received feedback that having different balance sheet presentation
requirements for debt issuance costs and debt discount and premium creates
unnecessary complexity. Recognizing debt issuance costs as a deferred charge
(that is, an asset) also is different from the guidance in International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS), which requires that transaction costs be deducted
from the carrying value of the financial liability and not recorded as separate
assets. Additionally, the requirement to recognize debt issuance costs as deferred
charges conflicts with the guidance in FASB Concepts Statement No. 6, Elements
of Financial Statements, which states that debt issuance costs are similar to debt
discounts and in effect reduce the proceeds of borrowing, thereby increasing the
effective interest rate. Concepts Statement 6 further states that debt issuance
costs cannot be an asset because they provide no future economic benefit.
To simplify presentation of debt issuance costs, the amendments in this Update
require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented
in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt
liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement
guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this
Update.

What Are the Transition Requirements and When Will the

Amendments Be Effective?
For public business entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for
financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015,
and interim periods within those fiscal years.
For all other entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim
periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016.

Early adoption of the amendments in this Update is permitted for financial

statements that have not been previously issued.
An entity should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis, wherein the
balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the
period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. Upon transition, an entity is
required to comply with the applicable disclosures for a change in an accounting
principle. These disclosures include the nature of and reason for the change in
accounting principle, the transition method, a description of the prior-period
information that has been retrospectively adjusted, and the effect of the change on
the financial statement line items (that is, debt issuance cost asset and the debt
liability).

Amendments to the
FASB Accounting Standards Codification
Introduction
1.
The Accounting Standards Codification is amended as described in
paragraphs 25. In some cases, to put the change in context, not only are the
amended paragraphs shown but also the preceding and following paragraphs.
Terms from the Master Glossary are in bold type. Added text is underlined, and
deleted text is struck out.

Amendments to Master Glossary

2.
Add the Master Glossary term Public Business Entity to Subtopic 835-30 as
follows:
Public Business Entity
A public business entity is a business entity meeting any one of the criteria below.
Neither a not-for-profit entity nor an employee benefit plan is a business entity.
a.

b.
c.

d.
e.

It is required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to

file or furnish financial statements, or does file or furnish financial
statements (including voluntary filers), with the SEC (including other
entities whose financial statements or financial information are required
to be or are included in a filing).
It is required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Act), as
amended, or rules or regulations promulgated under the Act, to file or
furnish financial statements with a regulatory agency other than the SEC.
It is required to file or furnish financial statements with a foreign or
domestic regulatory agency in preparation for the sale of or for purposes
of issuing securities that are not subject to contractual restrictions on
transfer.
It has issued, or is a conduit bond obligor for, securities that are traded,
listed, or quoted on an exchange or an over-the-counter market.
It has one or more securities that are not subject to contractual restrictions
on transfer, and it is required by law, contract, or regulation to prepare
U.S. GAAP financial statements (including footnotes) and make them
publicly available on a periodic basis (for example, interim or annual
periods). An entity must meet both of these conditions to meet this
criterion.

An entity may meet the definition of a public business entity solely because its
financial statements or financial information is included in another entitys filing with
the SEC. In that case, the entity is only a public business entity for purposes of
financial statements that are filed or furnished with the SEC.

Amendments to Subtopic 835-30

3.
Amend paragraphs 835-30-45-1 through 45-1A, 835-30-45-3 through 45-4,
and 835-30-55-8, with a link to transition paragraph 835-30-65-1, as follows:

InterestImputation of Interest
Other Presentation Matters
835-30-45-1 The guidance in this Section does not apply to the amortization of
premium and discount of assets and liabilities that are reported at fair value and
the debt issuance costs of liabilities that are reported at fair value.
835-30-45-1A The discount or premium resulting from the determination of
present value in cash or noncash transactions is not an asset or liability separable
from the note that gives rise to it. Therefore, the discount or premium shall be
reported in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from or addition to the face
amount of the note. Similarly, debt issuance costs related to a note shall be
reported in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the face amount of that
note. The discount, premium, or debt issuance costsIt shall not be classified as a
deferred charge or deferred credit.
835-30-45-2 The description of the note shall include the effective interest rate.
The face amount shall also be disclosed in the financial statements or in the notes
to the statements.
835-30-45-3 Amortization of discount or premium shall be reported as interest
expense in the case of liabilities or as interest income in the case of assets.
Amortization of debt issuance costs also shall be reported as interest
expense.Issue costs shall be reported in the balance sheet as deferred charges.
835-30-45-4 See Example 2 (paragraph 835-30-55-8) for illustrations of balance
sheet presentation of a discount and debt issuance costs on a note.

Implementation Guidance and Illustrations

> Illustrations
> > Example 2: Balance Sheet Presentation of Discounted Notes
835-30-55-8 This Example is an illustration of the guidance in paragraphs 835-3045-1 through 45-3 related to the balance sheet presentation of notes that are
discounted.
December 31
1970
Presentation 1Discount presented in caption
NOTE RECEIVABLE FROM SALE OF PROPERTY:
$1,000,000 face amount, noninterest bearing, due December 31,
1975 (less unamortized discount based on imputed interest rate of
8%1970, $320,000; 1969, $370,000)
Presentation 2Discount presented separately
NOTE RECEIVABLE FROM SALE OF PROPERTY:
Noninterest bearing note due December 31, 1975
Less unamortized discount based on imputed interest rate of 8%
Note receivable less unamortized discount
Presentation 3Several notes involved
LONG-TERM DEBT (Note 1):
Principal amount
Less unamortized discount
Long-term debt less unamortized discount

1969

680,000

630,000

1,000,000
320,000
$
680,000

1,000,000
370,000
630,000

$ 24,000,000
2,070,000
$ 21,930,000

24,000,000
2,192,000
21,808,000

Note 1Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt at December 31, 1970 consisted of the following:
Unamortized
Discount

Principal
6% subordinated debentures, due 1984 (discount is based on imputed
interestrate of 7%)
6 1/2% bank loan, due 1973
Noninterest bearing note issued in connection with acquisition of property,
due 1975 (discount is based on imputed interest rate of 8%)
Total

$ 20,000,000

3,000,000
1,000,000
$ 24,000,000

1,750,000
-

320,000
2,070,000

[For ease of readability, the newly added table is not underlined.]

December 31
20X2
Presentation 1Discount presented in caption
NOTE RECEIVABLE FROM SALE OF PROPERTY:
$1,000,000 face amount, noninterest bearing, due December 31, 20X9 (less
unamortized discount based on imputed interest rate of 8%20X2, $320,000;
20X1, $370,000)
Presentation 2Discount presented separately
NOTE RECEIVABLE FROM SALE OF PROPERTY:
Noninterest bearing note due December 31, 20X9
Less unamortized discount based on imputed interest rate of 8%
Note receivable less unamortized discount
Presentation 3Several notes involved
LONG-TERM DEBT (Note 1):
Principal amount
Less unamortized discount and debt issuance costs
Long-term debt less unamortized discount and debt issuance costs

20X1

680,000

630,000

1,000,000
320,000
680,000

1,000,000
370,000
630,000

$ 24,200,000
2,680,000

$ 24,200,000
2,792,000

$ 21,520,000

$ 21,408,000

Principal

Unamortized
Discount and
Debt
Issuance
Costs

Note 1Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt at December 31, 20X2, consisted of the following:

6% subordinated debentures, due 20X9 (discount is based on imputed interest

rate of 7%)
6 1/2% bank loan, due 20X7
Noninterest bearing note issued in connection with acquisition of property, due 20X9
(discount is based on imputed interest rate of 8%)
Total

4.

$ 20,000,000

3,000,000
1,200,000
$ 24,200,000

2,150,000
120,000

410,000
2,680,000

Add paragraph 835-30-65-1 and its related heading as follows:

> Transition Related to Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03,

InterestImputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the
Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs
835-30-65-1 The following represents the transition and effective date information
related to Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, InterestImputation of
Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs:
a.

The pending content that links to this paragraph shall be effective as

follows:
1. For public business entities, for financial statements issued for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods
within those fiscal years
2. For all other entities, for financial statements issued for fiscal years
beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2016.

b.
c.
d.

Earlier application of the pending content that links to this paragraph is

permitted for the financial statements that have not been previously
issued.
An entity shall apply the pending content that links to this paragraph
retrospectively to all prior periods presented.
An entity shall disclose in the first fiscal year after the entitys adoption
date, and in the interim periods within the first fiscal year, the following:
1. The nature of and reason for the change in accounting principle
2. The transition method
3. A description of the prior-period information that has been
retrospectively adjusted
4. The effect of the change on the financial statement line item (that is,
the debt issuance cost asset and the debt liability).

5.
Amend paragraph 835-30-00-1, by adding the following items to the table, as
follows:
835-30-00-1 The following table identifies the changes made to this Subtopic.

Paragraph
Public
Business Entity
835-30-45-1
835-30-45-1A
835-30-45-3
835-30-45-4
835-30-55-8
835-30-65-1

Action
Added

Accounting
Standards
Update
2015-03

Date
04/07/2015

Amended
Amended
Amended
Amended
Amended
Added

2015-03
2015-03
2015-03
2015-03
2015-03
2015-03

04/07/2015
04/07/2015
04/07/2015
04/07/2015
04/07/2015
04/07/2015

The amendments in this Update were adopted by the unanimous vote of the seven
members of the Financial Accounting Standards Board:
Russell G. Golden, Chairman
James L. Kroeker, Vice Chairman
Daryl E. Buck
Thomas J. Linsmeier
R. Harold Schroeder
Marc A. Siegel
Lawrence W. Smith

Background Information and

Basis for Conclusions
Introduction
BC1. The following summarizes the Boards considerations in reaching the
conclusions in this Update. It includes reasons for accepting certain approaches
and rejecting others. Individual Board members gave greater weight to some
factors than to others.
BC2. The Board is issuing this Update as part of its initiative to reduce complexity
in accounting standards (the Simplification Initiative). The objective of the
Simplification Initiative is to identify, evaluate, and improve areas of generally
accepted accounting principles for which cost and complexity can be reduced while
maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to users of the
financial statements.

Background Information
BC3. At the August 13, 2014 Board meeting, the Board added to its agenda a
project with the objective of simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs. At
that meeting, the Board tentatively decided to require that debt issuance costs be
presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability. On
October 14, 2014, the Board issued proposed Accounting Standards Update,
InterestImputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of
Debt Issuance Cost, for public comment reflecting that decision. The Board
received 28 comment letters addressing the questions included in the proposed
Update. Overall, respondents supported presenting debt issuance costs as a direct
deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability.

Presentation
BC4. To simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs, the amendments in this
Update require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be
presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from that debt liability,
consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. This presentation is consistent
with the guidance in Concepts Statement 6, which states that debt issuance costs
are similar to a debt discount and in effect reduce the proceeds of borrowing,
thereby increasing the effective interest rate. Concepts Statement 6 further states
that debt issuance costs are not assets because they provide no future economic
benefit. This presentation also improves consistency with IFRS, which requires
that transaction costs be deducted from the carrying value of the financial liability

and not recorded as separate assets. The Board acknowledges that costs may be
incurred before an associated debt liability is recorded in the financial statements
(for example, the costs are incurred before the proceeds are received on a debt
liability or costs incurred in association with undrawn line of credit). However, the
Board did not consider providing explicit guidance in circumstances in which the
proceeds have not yet been received because it observed that in practice entities
defer issuance costs and apply them against the proceeds when they are received.
For example, the accounting treatment for issuance costs associated with equity
instruments is that the costs generally are deferred and charged against the gross
proceeds of the offering (paragraph 340-10-S99-1).
BC5. The Board considered requiring that debt issuance costs be recognized as
an expense in the period of borrowing, which is one of the options to account for
those costs in Concepts Statement 6. The other option considered was to account
for those costs as a valuation account presented as a deduction from the face
amount of debt, which is the same as the guidance in the amendments in this
Update. The Board rejected the alternative to expense debt issuance costs in the
period of the borrowing. The Board concluded that this decision is consistent with
the accounting treatment for issuance costs associated with equity instruments as
noted in the preceding paragraph. Additionally, the Board concluded that
accounting for debt issuance costs as an expense would be inconsistent with the
guidance for recognition and measurement of debt discount or premium and loan
origination costs and fees by a lender, which are all deferred and amortized using
the interest method.
BC6. The Board concluded that the new guidance is limited to simplifying the
presentation of debt issuance costs. The recognition and measurement guidance
for debt issuance costs is not affected by the amendments in this Update. For
example, guidance for debt issuance costs in accounting for conversion options
(paragraph 470-20-30-13) or the accounting for the third-party costs of exchange
or modification of debt instruments (paragraph 470-50-40-18) is not affected by the
amendments in this Update.
BC7. The Board concluded that the recognition and measurement guidance in
other Codification Topics that require debt issuance costs to be accounted for
differently from debt discount has a different underlying basis. The guidance in the
amendments in this Update is limited to clarifying whether the debt issuance costs
are the debtors assets. The Board acknowledged that entities will continue to track
debt issuance costs separately from debt discount considering the guidance in
other Codification Topics.

Private Company Council Feedback

BC8. During the exposure process, a majority of the Private Company Council
members and certain other respondents that focus on private companies stated
that they disagree with the guidance in this Update. Those respondents asserted

that, in their view, the face amount of borrowings is the most relevant amount for
the users of private company financial statements. They stated that requiring the
amount of borrowing to be presented net of the debt issuance costs could be
misleading to users of private company financial statements and would be a
significant change for private company preparers. The Private Company Council
presented two alternatives for the Board to consider for private companies. The
first alternative would be to retain current GAAP and the second would require debt
issuance costs to be expensed. There were mixed views from Private Company
Council members on the alternatives. Five Private Company Council members
support the second alternative, whereas four Private Company Council members
support the first alternative. One Private Company Council member supports the
guidance in the Update.
BC9. The Board discussed the feedback received from private company
stakeholders during its redeliberations and decided to issue the amendments in
this Update for the following reasons:
a.
b.
c.

d.

Different guidance for public business entities and for private companies
would not meet the objective of this project, which is to simplify GAAP.
Retaining current GAAP would contradict the guidance in Concepts
Statement 6.
After considering the guidance in current GAAP that requires the face
amount of the borrowing to be disclosed in the financial statements or in
the notes to the statements, the Board decided that such disclosure
provides users of private company financial statements with the relevant
information about the borrowings.
Neither of the alternatives presented by the Private Company Council
would always result in presentation of the debt liability at the face amount
because any debt discount or premium would continue to be netted
against the borrowings.

Effective Date and Transition

BC10. The Board decided that public business entities are required to apply the
amendments in this Update for financial statements issued for fiscal years
beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years.
For all other entities, the Board decided that the amendments should be applied
for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015,
and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The
Board also decided to permit early adoption. While deciding on the effective date,
the Board considered that the amendment to current GAAP only affects
presentation in the financial statements. The Board also considered stakeholders
feedback on the Exposure Draft that indicated that the amendments will not require
significant time or cost to implement.

10

BC11. The Board decided that the amendments in this Update should be applied
retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Board
concluded that a retrospective transition enhances the interperiod comparability of
the financial information. Additionally, an entity will not incur significant costs for
adopting the amendments because the information on debt issuance costs already
is available in the financial statements. In reaching the conclusion to require
retrospective application, the Board also considered that because both debt
issuance costs and debt discount are amortized using the effective interest
method, there would be no effect on the income statement upon adoption of the
amendments.
BC12. The Board decided that an entity should be required to provide the
applicable disclosures for a change in an accounting principle upon transition.
Those disclosures include the nature of and reason for the change in accounting
principle, the transition method, a description of the prior-period information that
has been retrospectively adjusted, and the effect of the change on the financial
statement line items (that is, debt issuance cost asset and the debt liability).

Benefits and Costs

BC13. The objective of financial reporting is to provide information that is useful
to present and potential investors, creditors, donors, and other capital market
participants in making rational investment, credit, and similar resource allocation
decisions. However, the benefits of providing information for that purpose should
justify the related costs. Present and potential investors, creditors, donors, and
other users of financial information benefit from improvements in financial
reporting, while the costs to implement new guidance are borne primarily by
present investors. The Boards assessment of the costs and benefits of issuing
new guidance is unavoidably more qualitative than quantitative because there is
no method to objectively measure the costs to implement new guidance or to
quantify the value of improved information in financial statements.
BC14. The Board does not anticipate that entities will incur significant costs as a
result of the amendments in this Update. The Board anticipates that the
amendments in this Update will reduce complexity by allowing consistent
presentation of debt issuance costs and debt discount or premium.

11

Amendments to the XBRL Taxonomy

The amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification in this
Accounting Standards Update require changes to the U.S. GAAP Financial
Reporting Taxonomy (Taxonomy). Those changes, which will be incorporated into
the proposed 2016 Taxonomy, are available for public comment through ASU
Taxonomy Changes provided at www.fasb.org, and finalized as part of the annual
release process starting in September 2015.

12